Tanzania and Zimbabwe are seeking to deepen bilateral cooperation in areas including skills development, clean energy, environmental protection and the fight against gender-based violence.
The commitment emerged during a meeting between Tanzania’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, CP Suzan S. Kaganda, and Zimbabwe’s Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Monica Mutsvangwa, in Harare.
The talks focused on ways the two countries can build on their longstanding relations and establish practical programmes that deliver shared development outcomes.
Ms Mutsvangwa described Tanzania-Zimbabwe relations as rooted in the liberation struggles of Southern Africa, citing the role played by the founding leaders of the two countries, Julius Nyerere and Robert Mugabe.
She commended Tanzania for its contribution to Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle and for efforts to preserve sites and historical records linked to the liberation of Southern Africa.
The minister also expressed interest in Zimbabwe learning from Tanzania’s experience in promoting clean energy, particularly as the country seeks to address deforestation and environmental degradation.
Ambassador Kaganda said the two countries should move beyond historical ties by expanding cooperation through training programmes, exchange of expertise and experience, as well as the signing of memoranda of understanding and agreements in areas of mutual interest.
She said stronger institutional cooperation would help create a framework for sharing knowledge and developing programmes that respond to common challenges.
The ambassador also acknowledged Zimbabwe’s efforts to address gender-based violence (GBV), saying Tanzania was pursuing similar measures to strengthen protection and support for survivors.
She said Tanzania was implementing the Second National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and Children, while improving integrated service centres and strengthening gender desks to provide services and protection to victims.
The meeting comes as the two countries seek to translate their historic relationship into broader cooperation in areas that directly support social and economic development, including environmental sustainability, skills development and the protection of women and children.
